Devices for battlefield illumination are well known particularly in the field of application of military and police special units. Here, as well as lasers, which are normally used for target marking, illumination means such as lamps, searchlights or the like are also used. Fixed directly to the weapon, the task of these illumination means consists of illuminating the immediate environment to an extent that the soldiers, officers or marksmen are able to recognize and assess the situation.
As an example, for this purpose, US 2012/0124885 A1 shows an illumination module which is fixed in the area of the muzzle or trigger guard of a handgun. Designated as handguns are those firearms with which the barrel including breech has a total length of less than 30 cm. When such conventional illumination modules with a lamp are used, these are usually relatively voluminous in design due to the lamp reflector. As a further consequence, this leads to the problem that the storage pocket, usually referred to as holster, does not allow the weapon including the battlefield illumination module to be accommodated without difficulty. If a holster which is adapted to suit the battlefield illumination module is used, then this in turn is unsuitable for accommodating the weapon without the battlefield illumination module, as secure storage of the weapon cannot be guaranteed due to the poor retention in the holster.
A further problem which occurs with conventional illumination modules is the question of activation. Normally, an appropriate switch, with which the lamp or searchlight, or also the previously mentioned laser for target marking, is activated, is provided on the illumination module. Such an additional switch requires additional effort for the marksman, referred to in the following as an officer, in the event of deployment or use of the weapon.
Such a system requires an exact procedure when handling the weapon so that the battlefield illumination or target marking is activated at the correct time. A procedure of this kind for individual handling operations is of course practiced as part of the training and drill of the above-mentioned officer.
However, it cannot be ensured that, in the course of a deployment, that is to say under significantly increased stress level, the decisive handling operations are carried out at the right moments and therefore battlefield illumination and target marking are activated or are activated at the right moment.